Chapter 1 – Day at Zora River

The Princess of the Zoras, Princess Ruto had invited some of her friends to the Zora River to play with her. Among them were Princess Zelda, Malon from the Lon Lon Ranch, Lulu from the Great Bay in Termina, and Link. Ruto loved to play and especially liked having Zelda visit her home. They enjoyed walking up and down the path from the great waterfall all the way down to Hyrule Field along the banks of the Zora River. It was a new adventure every time seeing strange creatures and characters who lived in the microcosm of the river. Some days they would all go for a swim as Ruto lead the way with her spectacular abilities in the water. She and Lulu would help Zelda and Malon become better acquainted with the water as they learned how to swim. Lulu would occasionally visit Hyrule and sing for the two princesses. She was honored to have them as her audience and they loved hearing her beautiful voice.

They ran along the banks of the river while Link swam nearby. Zelda looked at the view of the nature around them and said how proud she was to some day have these lands under her rule.

Ruto scoffed and responded, "But that's only the castle. I'm princess of the water and all of the Zora River too."

"Of course you're a princess too, Ruto, but of the Zoras. My family rules the entire kingdom."

"But you can't even swim. You don't know anything about water or Zoras or anything else!"

Malon and Lulu looked on at the two arguing not sure of what to say.

Zelda said back to Ruto, "And you don't know anything about the rest of the kingdom. You live in a cave, you could never be a real princess."

"I am a princess! I'm the prettiest little princess ever! You don't look like a princess with those stupid pointy ears anyway!" She shoved Zelda. Zelda struck Ruto on the head and responded,

"You have a big ugly head!" She pointed to the circular marks at the tips of Ruto's head and asked, "What are those ugly things? Is that where your pee comes out?"

Ruto grabbed Zelda and threw her into the river and jumped in after her to attack. Malon and Lulu ran along the river bank aware that the current could drown Zelda and possibly land both little girls against the rocks.

"Link! Link! Zelda is drowning! Ruto threw her in the water!" Malon yelled.

Zelda was fighting for her life with Ruto. Ruto knew that Zelda couldn't last under the water and tried to hold her under. Zelda repeatedly hit Ruto in the face and head thinking that she might knock her out. She had seen Link eliminate enemies with one blow and thought that she could do the same, but she wasn't strong enough.

Link knew the river well; he had swam it many times and was sure that he could navigate the waters without crashing into the rocks and other traps that could be waiting for him. He swam as quickly as he could towards the two girls.

Lulu yelled to Ruto, "Ruto what are you doing! Stop it!" She jumped in after them leaving Malon. Malon cried out, "Lulu no! Come back, it's dangerous."

A small artificial dam had been build by fisherman to help trap fish as they came downstream. Zelda and Ruto landed in the small embankment as their bodies smashed into the little wooden poles which supported the structure. By now, neither of them even tried to fight. Zelda was coughing from the water she had swallowed and both girls had cuts from rocks and debris. Link and Lulu arrived soon after and pulled both girls from the water and onto the land. Malon came running along on the land. Both girls were coughing and breathing heavily. Ruto noticed a bucket with some fish caught by a fisherman. As she got free of Link, she took the bucket and emptied the fish onto Zelda and said, "Think you're ready to be a Zora?"

Link pushed Ruto away. The force caused her to slip on the fish oils and fall to the ground hitting her head against the rim of the bucket.

"What were you doing to her?" Lulu yelled to Ruto.

Ruto lay on the ground starting to cry as she covered her aching head with both hands. "I want my nurse!"

Link aided Zelda as she coughed up water. It would be a few minutes before they were calmed down enough to get up. Finally, Link decided to take Ruto home. He was angry with her and upset to have to walk up half the distance of the Zora River to return her home while Zelda waited with the other girls who attended to her. Link threw Ruto haphazardly into the water at the domain and yelled to her never to behave that way again. He came back for Zelda, Malon, and Lulu and took them all back home.